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Going back to this blog’s roots, this was the band and venue featured in my first ever post. Since then, I’d seen the band again, at the Good Ship with Maybeshewill, but was back to see them again at the Bull & Gate in Kentish Town.

Thanks to a full days revision, and a late dinner, I got to the venue just after the first support band finished but with drink in hand, made my way in to see the band filling the second slot, the curiously name Djevara; a band I’d never heard of (as is often the case). It seemed that they had history with ASIWYFA having toured with them in the post so I believe ASIWYFA had got them the slot for the show that night. Anyway, for just three guys, they made one hell of a racket and I mean that in a good way. They played a sort of hardcore/punk rock sound that flitted easily between being quite melodic to all out thrashing it seemed. All three members were damn good technically and I quite enjoyed the set, even if the crowd size was a little disappointing at that stage of the evening. A good live band, they’re well worth checking out.

After their set came Nixa, a band I was sure I’d heard of but couldn’t figure out where from (I subsequently found out it was because I had a free CD of theirs which could thrust into my hand after the Good Ship gig). Even a bout of good old H1N1 wasn’t going to stop these guys performing on the night and they also impressed. With a radio friendly rock sound, think Biffy Clyro or the Foos maybe, they had a good sound and I was impressed with the vocal arrangements with three vocalists all taking turns and even singing together at times which worked really well. They didn’t quite have the raw energy of Djevara but were really tight and I enjoyed their set as well.

And so we got to ASIWYFA who have yet to disappoint me live. They’d come in to the gig after a busy weekend which included recording for their new release (out later this year!) and then their performance at Truck festival on the Sunday (which I sadly couldn’t make). You wouldn’t have been able to tell though from their energy on stage which is always amazing. As is customary now, they started with the epic ‘Set Guitars To Kill’ with Tony diving in from the top of the amps at the side of the stage; a fair drop if you’ve been to the B&G!

They played a number of tracks off the album and EP which I’d heard previously, such as ‘If It Ain’t Broke, Break It’ and the alleged new track ‘S Is For Salamander’ which I’ve heard three times now, but they also played a couple of tracks I’d not heard live including a brand new track and ‘TheseRIOTSareJUSTtheBEGINNING’ which is one of my favourite songs off the album. The band’s stage presence, and as already mentioned energy, was second to none again with the band launching themselves round the stage, off amps and even taking running jumps from the crowd back onto the stage and it’s all of this that makes the band one of the best live acts I’ve seen.

They finished the set with ‘Eat The City, Eat It Whole’ which I don’t think I’ve heard before either and it makes a perfect set closer. Despite calls for more from the crowd, that was the night done but I did manage to get Tony to give us an impromptu, if rather short, drum solo. Overall, it was another great night from the boys and I could easily see them again and again without getting bored of them. The energy from the crowd wasn’t quite as good as the Good Ship gig (which was mental to be fair) but that made little difference to me right at the front!